Connecting research and practice for global community philanthropy – call for Expressions of Interest
02 Mar 2016
Do you have an idea for a research project that could support and advance the field of global community philanthropy? This call for expressions of interest seeks scholars, evaluators and community philanthropy leaders to propose ideas for possible collaborative research projects with potential funding of US$2,500-5,000/project.
Background
Community philanthropies have been among the fastest growing institutional forms of giving around the globe. Between 2000 and 2010, the most common type – community foundations – grew by 86% with an average of 70 institutions created every year. Today, there are over 1,800 place-based foundations around the world granting more than US$5 billion annually and almost three quarters are less than 25 years old. This growth has been dramatic, but research and evaluation to inform and improve the field has not kept pace.
Project overview
While there have been sporadic studies of community foundations, the opportunities for deeper and more widespread research are dramatic. The Global Fund for Community Foundations (GFCF) and the WK Kellogg Community Philanthropy Chair at the Johnson Center for Philanthropy are therefore excited to launch a new joint initiative aimed at connecting research and practice to advance the field of global community philanthropy. This initiative will include:
Funding for collaborative research at the local, national, regional and global levels.
- Based on responses to this expression of interest, the GFCF will invite proposals for small grants of US$2,500-5,000 to support new research efforts around the globe.
Convenings for researchers and community philanthropy leaders to share research results and identify opportunities for collaboration and field building.
- Roundtable discussion at the June 2016 International Society for Third Sector Research conference in Stockholm about the range of research and evaluation opportunities and their potential impact on building the field of global philanthropic research and practice.
- Opportunities to present research findings and for participation in the Global Summit on Community Philanthropy, a landmark event for the global community philanthropy field which will be held in Johannesburg on 1 – 2 December 2016.
Curated publication opportunities for both academic and philanthropic audiences.
- Special 2017 issue on global community philanthropy of The Foundation Review, the first peer-reviewed journal of philanthropy, written by and for foundation staff and boards.
Who should apply?
We invite emerging and established scholars, evaluators and community philanthropy leaders and practitioners from across the globe to let us know your ideas for collaborative research. We welcome both concrete proposals of specific research projects or evaluations, as well as more general ideas or research questions that could lead to future projects. Proposals from individual scholars, evaluators and community philanthropy leaders who would like to find partners to launch new research are sought, as are proposals from existing collaborative teams of researchers and practitioners.
How to apply
More details about this emerging new initiative will be available in the coming months, including new partnerships and further opportunities to get involved. In the meantime, we invite you to respond to this first call for expressions of interest by answering the questions below via email (750 words maximum by 15 April 2016 submitted to jason_franklin@gvsu.edu and jenny@globalfundcf.org).
- What question(s) do you seek to explore? We invite research proposals that explore a wide range of issues around global community philanthropy such as evaluation efforts to assess the impact of the field, best practices and innovation for organizing and managing collective giving, policy reform and regulations impacting the field, and more.
- How will you explore these questions? We seek proposals utilizing a wide range of methods to explore research questions related to global community philanthropy including both qualitative and quantitative research, longitudinal studies and single-point-in-time assessments, participatory research, and more.
- What will be the impact of this research? We understand that research on global community philanthropy will take many forms and have different uses. How do you think your proposed research will impact the field? Will your work help inform the practice of other local community funders or be useful at a regional or global level? Will your work inform policymakers, the media, or others?
- What funding do you need for this research? We expect that first grants will be for US$2,500-5,000 each. Please outline how much funding you would need to undertake your project and how that funding would be used. If you need more than US$5,000 in funding, please indicate what other resources you have available or where you would find the additional funds needed to undertake this work.
- Who will be involved in your proposed research? We would like to know who will be involved in your research, both those carrying out the research and the community philanthropy organization(s) and leaders involved. If you are seeking a research or community partner to launch this research with, please note what you would be looking for in a partner instead. Please also include contact information for the lead partners for this proposed research.